Lachute rolls out new plan for bicycle expansion

With waistlines and gas prices on the rise, it's no surprise that an increasing number of people are looking toward bicycles as a viable form of both transportation and recreational exercise.

In order to promote that, MNA d'Argenteuil David Whissell announced this July that the provincial government will be providing a $21,459 grant to the city of Lachute to conduct a study to outline how best to extend the municipal cycling network.

The study, which is expected to be completed by fall, will include detailed plans of how to expand the cycling network in each sector of Lachute. The existing network consists of about seven kilometers of trails that link the primary and secondary schools to the Carrefour Argenteuil Mall on Bethany Avenue and the industrial sector located in that same district.

The Route Verte Argenteuil is also accessible behind the Laurentian Regional High School and it runs from Lachute to Grenville through wooded trails and along the Ottawa River.

According to André Primeau, the director of recreation for the city of Lachute, the development of the bicycle network is intended to provide a safe and secure path for children to walk or bike to school and to encourage them to be physically active.

"The bicycle has come to be seen as a means of transport that is in high demand in recent years," said Whissell. "Whether for work, to go to the park or school, or even for pleasure, citizens have developed a taste for the sport. Fortunately, in the Argenteuil region, we have the Route Verte, which is unique to this area and the City of Lachute has started its own bicycling network to meet the needs of its citizens. A larger network also means a larger number of cyclists and, by extension, a healthy population."

According to the Quebec Ministry of Transport, Quebecers use bicycles more than any other area of North America. In 2005, 47 per cent of adults between the ages of 18 and 74 said they used a bicycle and 33 per cent of them rode a bicycle at least once each week.

In its 2005 bicycle policy, the province committed to the development of bicycle mobility as a solution to reduce greenhouse gases emitted from automobiles and to promote the health of its citizens.

"The new bicycle policy continues the efforts undertaken in 1995 and places even more emphasis on the use of a bicycle as a true mode of transportation, particularly in urban settings. With the support of our municipal partners, this new policy will work to improve the conditions of use of bicycles in Quebec and, in this way, promote their use," stated former minister of transport Julie Boulet.